I just got my 4 month old pup his first doghouse and it seems like he is scared to death of it. I have put blankets in there for him along with treats and even old clothes that have my scent on them but he still refuses to get in the house. Ever since I brought him home from the breeder he has slept right beside me in my bed without any problems. I know that was probably my fault but looking into those eyes I couldn't say no, I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean. So can anyone help me with my problem of getting him to sleep in his doghouse? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Is there any reason why he had to sleep there? Maybe he's better off with you were he's happy and feels safe
Do you mean a crate? Some pups take a bit of getting used to them. Feeding him his meals in there and him being able to "find" amazing treats that magically appear will help. All three of mine have loved their crates, the two girls especially. When Luna gets something special, she will always charge to get in because she knows it's her safe place. That's usually with one of my shoes....
If you are talking about a doghouse in the sense of an outdoor wooden structure, I think your 4 month old pup will be extremely unhappy and scared to have to sleep there versus with you. That will be a very difficult transition for such a young puppy and I would keep him inside with you, especially as you say there have been no problems.
I don't mean to be unkind, but this isn't the first time you've posted about making your dog sleep outside after the poor little guy has been in the house with you since he came home. And by and large you keep get the same answer - why would you do this to your puppy? Would you not just consider leaving him inside where he is safe and happy? He's really trying to tell you something with his behaviour. Isn't it breaking your heart and telling you what the better solution is?
No offense taken whatsoever, I need all of the advice I can get honestly. To provide a little background this is my third lab to have, the first one died from old age and the second one died from being hit by a car which really affected me. And the first two dogs that I had I sent them off to duck hunting school for four months and by the time I got them back they were used to being outside at the trainers kennel. This dog is going to be my spoiled lap/companion dog and I dont have any experience with moving a dog from inside to outside the house. He knocks over everything which I know very well comes with the territory and no matter how much I bathe him it still smells like a dog in my house. Is there anything that ya'll do to make your house smell normal? There is nothing I would love more than to let my dog stay inside, he is just like a member of the family and Ill admit there is nothing like having him lick me in the face when he wants me to get up, I wouldnt trade that for anything. So hopefully you all realize that I really do love my dog but just am confused about this part of it, to either let him sleep outside which I know for a fact if I put him out at night its going to sound like a wolf dying because he is going to want to come back in and I know that Im not going to be able to stand hearing him like that, it would break my heart. So hopefully you better understand my situation now and can give me some advice because I sure could use it. Thanks in advance.
Stop washing him. Washing dogs makes them smell worse. Wash his bedding regularly and, if you have carpets, use a dry "shake and vac" type product when you vacuum. That should be enough. If he still smells, consider looking at his diet.
Mag, your post sounds like you are ambivalent about your pup going outside? If your pup is your companion and not a dog that will be sent away for training and therefore won't learn to live outside, it doesn't make sense that you would put him outside. I remember in your previous post about this you said something about the smell? I'm not sure you can remove all traces of a dog smell. Personally I love the natural smell of my pup, and I'm not sure it's good for their natural oils to be bathed regularly but someone else may know better than me regarding this. And the fact that he is knocking stuff over, that's coz he's a pup, he won't do it for ever. It sounds like you adore your boy Mag, and it will break your heart, as well as his, to be apart from each other. I have no experience of moving dogs outside so I can't help you with this but I would urge you to rethink, and to carry on waking up with his delicious self next to you in the morning.
I don't *think* my house smells. I've asked all my family & friends and they promise me it doesn't. I just have laminate in all the rooms he's usually in. He's got a couch blanket which I wash regularly. And his bedding gets washed regularly. I also have a couple of sneaky plug in air freshners He's never had a bath in the time I've had him. He's been hosed down once when he went in the bog of eternal stench and had a couple of dry shampoos. You'll see I've just posted that no matter how much I clean there's dog hairs and mud splatters.. but I don't really mind! The benefits of having him around outweigh the negatives by a mile!
If these are your main reasons for thinking about putting him outside, then I think you can do some work arounds and come up with a good solution to keep your pup giving you morning kisses but your house also nice. There is hope! I'm currently in a sad state of Lab-lessness (and an even sadder state of dog-lessness!) but I've had up to 5 dogs in a very small house. Big dogs, too. Some tips: (1) good healthy diet - this makes an ENORMOUS difference in dog odour. If you are washing him and he still smells - it's almost certainly a diet problem. A young dog on a good diet shouldn't stink (unless he's rolled in something dead). (2) Unless he really gets into something foul-smelling on a walk, a daily brush and maybe a wipe down with a damp towel ought to keep him fresh smelling. I used to wash my dog once a week but then realised that in fact he didn't need that at all. You can also buy natural sprays that smell nice - a little misting before a curry brush and a dog will smell delicious for days. (3) Keep his bed washed and clean (4) reduce/eliminate soft furnishings in your house that trap odours and dust (rugs, drapes, sheers, table cloths, decorative pillows, soft toys) - honestly, this the biggest source of bad odours in any house, with or without dogs. (5) discover the joys of Plug Ins (honestly, I should buy stock) - my favourite is vanilla as it's not strong but keeps everything smelling nice (6) vacuum, sweep and dust regularly (which you probably do already) As to the knocking everything over... re-arrange your stuff so there's nothing to knock over. I've never owned a coffee table because I bought my house at the same time as I got my first dog. Anything on a coffee table is toast with a dog anyway. Ditto on delicate decorations on any low table. Build yourself some nice wall-mounted shelves above dog height for stuff you want to enjoy but protect and problem solved. Once you get a routine and get the house really dog-friendly it's really easier because there's less clutter and less to clean. Plus your dog can stay indoors and your house smells nice, too. Win, win and win.
Thank you all so much for all the replies to my inquiry. You are all right, my dog is like a member of the family and I wouldnt dream of doing anything to hurt or harm him in any way. Im going to invest in some of those plug in air fresheners and try the suggestions of keeping him clean and hope it all works I would miss him patting my nose in the morning to wake me up
My friend's dog, Zaba, is a bit of a stinker but we've found the solution. Never bath - this strips the natural oils. Wipe down well after every walk with an aqua-sorb towel, wash the towels every time in a little hibiscrub. Use Cowboy Magic on a cloth to wipe down his boy-bits once a day. Wash his beds at least once a week. This adds up to a sweet smelling house even with three Labs living here (Zaba stays with us often)
If you do have carpets I use Bicarbonate of Soda sprinkled in and left to remove any odurs. I think it works then the plug ins!
I use reed diffusers and have them in several rooms. I also find shake n vak also helps, along with washing the sofa throws and her bedding weekly. I also put a dressing gown on Harley when she's wet and muddy and it helps absorb the worst of it so I only need to rub her legs down.
My rescue dog Charlie is 6 years old and has NEVER had a bath as I don't want to ruin his coat and he doesn't smell. If he gets muddy or roles in something unsavoury I just wash down those areas. I have two large dogs, I ask my friends and family regularly if my house smells and they assure me it does not. I don't have carpets, we have solid wood flooring that gets hoovered and buffed all the time, I also wash my dogs bedding weekly which is probably the smelliest thing not the dogs. I wouldn't put my precious dogs in a dog house they might get stolen and they like and need to be with us their family.
Same with us, we have laminate floors which are easy to keep clean, and wash Baileys bedding once a week. Plug in's are awesome. Our bedroom is the only room with carpet in and I use Fabreze spay once a week on it. We do bath Bailey - but we only use shampoo (dog one) when he's rolled in something disgusting - he just loves being in the bath being showered so he can be towel dried!
Sam is five and a half years old and has never been bathed either , I did try a shower once after a muddy experience but it was a disaster , so never ever again . I cant use anything remotely chemical around or on him as he is suffering from lymphoma , but I wash his bedding at least once a week in baby friendly wash powder , and wipe him down only when he needs it . Friends who don't have dogs assure me that my home doesn't smell . I couldn't imagine not having my boy indoors even now , let alone as a puppy , I hope it all works out for you .
